TAIPEI (TVBS News) — A 4-day-old infant in northern Taiwan has died from complications of enterovirus infection, the Taiwan Centers for Disease Control (CDC, 疾病管制署), the island's equivalent of the U.S. CDC, reported on Tuesday (July 1). The newborn, who developed severe myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle) and hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), succumbed on the third day of illness, becoming the fifth baby to die from enterovirus in Taiwan this year — a statistic that has prompted health authorities to implement emergency containment measures across the island. Enterovirus infections are common among children but can be particularly dangerous for newborns, whose immune systems are not fully developed.
CDC spokesman Lo Yi-chun (羅一鈞) explained that the infant initially displayed concerning symptoms including lethargy and inactivity before rapidly deteriorating with signs of neonatal sepsis, myocarditis, hepatitis, shock, and multiple organ failure. Hospital physicians diagnosed the newborn with severe enterovirus infection upon admission to emergency care. Despite intensive medical interventions, the infant died three days after symptoms appeared. While laboratory confirmation of the specific strain is pending, Lo noted that the symptoms and progression strongly suggest enteric cytopathic human orphan virus 11 (Echo 11).
Taiwan health officials reported a marginal decline in enterovirus outpatient consultations last week — 6,696 cases compared to the previous week's figures, representing a 2.8 percent decrease — attributing this slight improvement to reduced transmission in educational settings during the summer break. Lee Chia-lin (李佳琳), deputy director of the CDC's Epidemic Intelligence Center, cautioned that despite this modest decrease, the nine severe enterovirus cases recorded in 2025 represent the highest total in six years. The CDC's epidemiological data reveals a particularly troubling pattern: six of these severe cases have affected newborns, with five proving fatal. Laboratory monitoring over the past four weeks has confirmed Echo 11 as the prevalent strain in the outbreak.
The rising death toll has triggered a comprehensive public health response across Taiwan, with authorities establishing a specialized enterovirus task force on June 17 to coordinate containment strategies between central and local governments. Officials have designated 89 hospitals nationwide as specialized treatment centers for severe enterovirus cases, creating a network of medical facilities equipped with appropriate expertise and resources. Lo warned that the ongoing infant enterovirus epidemic may continue until the end of July, prompting the CDC to mandate that 1,720 childcare centers and 255 postpartum care homes complete rigorous self-inspections by July 15. Government inspectors will subsequently audit these self-assessments, imposing strict remediation requirements for any facilities failing to meet infection control standards. Lo further cautioned that with many summer activities set to begin in the coming weeks, the epidemic could potentially see a resurgence despite recent declines. ◼